207: Chapter 5 Even a Clay Figure Has a Temper 207: Chapter 5 Even a Clay Figure Has a Temper “I have another question—what exactly are the rules of time-space retrospection?
Who retains memory?
What state are we in now?”
Actually, this was the question Yan Yu’an wanted to ask, but since he had already asked his three questions, Wang Yunxiao asked it for him.
Yan Yu’an had his own explanation, but Wang Yunxiao couldn’t understand it.
How did I get optimized away?
Indeed, understanding between people is challenging.
Huo Qingyang raised three fingers and said, “There is a standard of distinction involving secrets that I do not wish to explain to you.
Simply put, under the washing of the time-space tides, there are generally three situations.
The first is sand and gravel, which move with the tidal waves, either unaware or incapable of fighting against the tide.”
“The second type is the beach, which is formed by the washing of the waves, but no matter if the tide rises or falls, the beach does not undergo any significant changes.
In other words, the local time-space tides do not affect the stability of the main body of the Real World.”
“The third situation can be called an anchor, like a ship’s anchor.
It means being able to perceive the washing of the time-space tides and maintain self-awareness and positioning, like an anchor sunk to the sea bottom.”
“Our country and civilization, with thousands of years of continuous historical heritage, can withstand the damage brought by the washing of the time-space tides—this is the beach.”
“Outside the bounds of our territory, those so-called Western Great Powers that have flourished for only four or five hundred years cannot withstand the washing of the tides.
Their original beaches have turned into sand and gravel, pulled into the deep sea and then washed up to our area.”
“And we, who understand the truth and stand on the front lines against the time-space tides, we are the anchors!”
An anchor…So that’s what it means?
Seeing both of them lost in deep thought, Huo Qingyang twisted his neck impatiently, “Alright, the last question—what do you want to ask?”
Wang Yunxiao hurriedly asked, “I want to know if time-space retrospection could go wrong, like with a girl from my side…”
“Yes.”
Huo Qingyang answered succinctly, “It will definitely go wrong, and that’s normal—it’s not a child’s play.
The time-space tides are a natural disaster, just like earthquakes, floods, tsunamis.
You need to learn to accept this reality, and the reality is that currently there is no way to ensure everyone can safely survive a natural disaster.”
“You didn’t need to know this; you chose to probe to the roots and explore the truth.
Do you regret it now?
Regret is pointless; there’s no such thing as a regret pill in this world.”
Thrown out of the office, Wang Yunxiao and Yan Yu’an looked at each other, speechless.
The amount of information received tonight was overwhelming, and Wang Yunxiao felt he needed to digest it properly.
Yan Yu’an seemed even more shaken, appearing on the verge of collapse.
In a sense, they had been brutally contaminated with knowledge by Huo Qingyang.
Knowing more doesn’t necessarily solve problems.
Now they knew that time-space retrospection was not some panacea.
As the old saying goes, every medicine has its poison.
Chemotherapy drugs can kill cancer cells, but they also carry carcinogenic properties.
It was foreseeable that as they became more involved in the affairs of the Special Service Bureau, more and more problems would inevitably arise around them.
Ignorance has the bliss of the ignorant.
Seeking knowledge has the cruelty of the seeker.
As Huo Qingyang said, it was the path they had chosen for themselves.
“My mind is a mess; I plan to go to sleep and rest well,”
After a long silence, Yan Yu’an mustered his spirits and smiled at Wang Yunxiao, “Captain Wang, let’s part for today.
If we have the chance, let’s find a place to talk properly later.”
“Okay, we’ll see then.”
Wang Yunxiao was noncommittal.
Huo Qingyang had already made it very clear, and he did not think there was any further need for deep communication.
That’s the way things are.
Nurse Liu was right; there were no ready-made answers, only specific problems required specific analysis.
It wasn’t as simple as traveling to the Otherworld to become a Brave Hero, defeating the Demon King, and saving the world.
You couldn’t be sure if what was happening “now” was influenced by the “past” or the “future.”
People live in the present, only able to solve the problems before them.
The problem he now faced was how to explain to Zhou Qing that she had died but had come back to life.
For Zhou Qing, the truth might be too cruel.
When Wang Yunxiao found her, she was still wearing that bulky armor, sitting on the hospital stairs in the corner, staring blankly at the stars in the sky.
“I need to tell you something…”
Wang Yunxiao sat beside her, hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to tell the truth.
“…Overall, that’s the situation.”
“I have an idea, I don’t know if you’d be willing, but it might serve as a reference.”
Seeing Zhou Qing without any reaction, as if frozen, Wang Yunxiao also felt a headache coming on.
This kid had never spoken in front of him before.
Can ghosts even speak?
Do they even have brains to think through such complex issues?
“Now that things have turned out like this, we can’t dwell on the past but need to find a way to solve the present problems.
I don’t recommend you linger around the living Zhou Qing; you know how timid you are yourself.
What if you frighten her to death, and she turns into a ghost too?”
This terrifying thought finally startled Zhou Qing, making her instinctively sit upright.
“Then…
what should I do …”
Wang Yunxiao finally heard her voice, which, having become a ghost, lacked some of its earlier softness and gained a chilliness.
“How about changing your name?
I know you were originally neither Little Yuxiu nor Zhou Qing.
You could choose a new name for yourself, entirely severing your past and starting a new chapter in your life.”
Talking about life to a ghost seemed a bit odd.
Or should it be about exorcising spirits?
Zhou Qing hugged her knees and curled up again, falling silent.
Silence meant she had no ideas.
Wang Yunxiao could only try to persuade her, “How about taking my last name, Wang?”
Zhou Qing gently nodded her head.
“Call me Pox-Faced Wang!”
With a crack, Wang Yunxiao thought he heard the sound of a neck snapping.
Zhou Qing’s helmet fell off.
Her neck twisted backward at a 135-degree angle, and her eyes, wide open, stared intensely at Wang Yunxiao.
“Just kidding…ah!
Don’t strangle me!”
Before Wang Yunxiao could explain, a rope fell from above, fitting snugly around his neck.
“You’re Pox-Faced Wang!
You’re Pox-Faced Wang!”
Zhou Qing, like an evil ghost, jumped behind Wang Yunxiao, grabbing the rope with both hands: “I’ll strangle you!”